Socket-wrench



W. A. ABEGG.

SOCKET WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 15,1919.

7 1 39 054 Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

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UNITED STATES CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

PATENT OFFICE.

ON E-HALF TO SOCKET-WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

Application filed July 16, 1919. Serial No. 311,137.

To all whom 2'25 may concern:

Be it known that I, IVALTEI: A. a citizen of Switzerland. residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angelcs, State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Socket-IVrenches. of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to socket wrenches and it is an object of the invention to provide a durable, handy and simple wrench of this character.

In assembling, repairing and adjusting machinery of various classes and in general machine work it is very often necessary to use socket wrenches of various sizes, etc. These wrenches are usually made so that various sized ends or sockets may be mounted on a single carrier or shank. By making the socket or ends removable from the shanks it is possible to use various sized sockets on the same shank, thereby cutting down the bulk and also the material required for a set of wrenches. These wrenches are usually made so that the end of the shank fits more or less looosely into a portion of the socket in such a manner as to cause the socket to be rotated by rotation of the shank. In using the wrench it is customary to place the socket on the nut, bolt, or whatever partit is desired to turn, and then place the shank in the socket. This procedure is satisfactory in cases where the part to be turned is easily accessible but is very unsatisfactory in case where the part to be turned is in a corner, a hole, or the like. The ditficulty experienced in using a socket wrench on a part in a place which is not easily accessible is that it is difficult to get the socket on the member and then it is difiicult to get the shank properly in place in the socket. A further difiiculty experienced in this class of wrench is that the sockets do not fit firmly or tightly on the shanks. And after the wrenches have been used a short time the sockets become quite loose on the shanks. This looseness of the socket on the shank makes it difiicult in many cases to detect whether the looseness is in the wrench or in the member which is being turned and it is apt to cause twisting off or straining of parts due to excessive tightening.

The present invention provides a socket wrench which overcomes these difficulties and is at the same time neat and simple. The present invention provides a plurality Quince,

of various sized sockets which are provided wlth a portion to receive the end of a shank. The end of the shank which engages the sockets is made so that it may be easily pushed into place in a socket and then locked. When the socket is locked on the end of the shank it is as firm and solid as a solid wrench and may be used as such.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a socket wrench which will be simple and inexpensive. By providing a means for firmly locking the socket portion of the wrench on the shank a wrench is provided which is as strong and serviceable as a solid wrench. The cost of manufacturing wrenches in two pieces is less than the cost of manufacturing solid wrenches as a standard wrench may be made on which various sized sockets may be mounted whereas a solid wrench has a shank integral with each socket. The use of a'single shank in connection with several sockets not only simplifies manufacture but also effects a saving in material.

Further features as well as details will be readily understood from the following de tailed description of a preferred form of the invention throughout which reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure l is a side elevation of a wrench. showing a socket in place on a shank; Fig. 2 is a view showing the end portion of the shank with the socket removed; Fig. 3 is an end view showing a. socket mounted on a shank, taken as indicated by line 33 on Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a view showing the end of a shank with a socket in place with parts broken away to Show the details of construction; Fig. 5 shows a side elevation of a modified form of the invention; Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a modified form; Fig. 7 is an end view of a socket when in placeon the modified shank, this View being taken as indicated by line 77 on Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is a View showing a socket in place on the end of a shank with parts broken away to show the details of construction, and Fig. 9 is an taken as indicated by line 9-9 on Fig. 2.

In the drawings numeral 10 designates the shank of the wrench, the top of which may be bent to form a handle 11. The shank 10 is preferably round in cross section and is made from a solid steel rod and may be of such a length as to suit any particular class enlarged sectional view of work. The end 12 of the shank, which is adapted to fit into the socket 18, has fiattened portions 14: which make it substantially square in cross section as shown in Figs. 3 and 9. Although it is preferred to make the end portion substantially square in cross section it will he understood that this portion may be made to have any desired number of sides or may be any shape, which will prevent rotation of said portion in the hole 15. The squared portion or end 12 of shank 10 is made so that it fits neatly into the squared hole 15 in the socket and it is made long enough to practically fill the hole 15. The end 12 0t shank 10 may be pushed into the hole 15 until the shoulder 16, formed at the joining of the round portion and the square portion of the shank, engages the top edge 1'? 01"- the socket. Near the end of the squared portion 12 of the shank 10 there is a tapered hole 18 which extends completely through the said portion. The hole 18 is preferably not at right angles with any of the surfaces 1.4 but extends diametrically through the widest part of portion 12 from corner to corner. Parallel to and close to the tapered hole 18 there is a hole 19 which extends through the squared portion 12 as shown in the drawings. In the wall between the tapered hole 18 and the end of the shank and the wall between the hole 10 and the tapered hole 18 there are slots 20. -In the tapered hole 18 there is a hardened steel wedge pin 21. The wedge pin 21 is tapered to correspond with the taper of hole 18 and is prevented from droppingout of the hole 18 by the edges 22 at the large end of the hole being beaded over.

The socket 13 in which the end 12 01" the shank is adapted to be placed comprises an upper portion28 in which the hole .15 is located and a lower portion 2-1 in which is a nut engaging socket portion On one side of shank 10 may be mounted sockets which have various sized and shaped socket portions 25 in order that the wrench may be used on various sized and shaped nuts. bolts etc. Extending diametrically through the socket 13, at a pointnear the lower end of hole 15, there is a hole 26. The hole 26 is at the proper angle and is in the proper location to line up with the tapered hole 18 in the portion 12 of the shank when said portion is in place'in the hole 15.

The end portion 12 fits the hole 15 so that the socket may be put in place on the shank by hand. When the socket is thus properly placed on the shank 10 and it is desired to lock said socket on, the shank, a center punch nail, or any similar tool or article maybe placed inhole 26 so to engage the large end of wedge pin 21. When the center punch or the like is in place against the pin 21-11. may be hammered so as to drive the pin tightly in the tapered hole 18. This driving of the pin into the hole will cause the end of the squared portion 12 to be spread or expanded due to the action of the pin in the hole. The hole 19 and the slots 20 allow the end portion 12 to be spread by the driving of the pin in the. hole. This spreading or expanding of the end of the squared portion 12 causes it to press against the walls of hole 15 and thereby firmly holdthe socket in place on the shank. hen the socket has thus been locked on the end of the shank the wrench may be handled and used as though the socket was integral with the shank. Although the holes 18 and 19 and the slots 20 somewhat weaken the end of the squared portion 12 there is a sufficient portion of the squared portion left between the hole 19 and the shoulder 16 to eliminate any danger of failure due to this weakening. The hole 19 also makes the wrench particularly durable in that it allows the end of the squared portion 12 to be expanded a great many times without causiug rupture or cracking of the metal as would be the case if a plain slot were used in place of the slot and hole. The squared portion 12 and the hole 15 are both straight and the hole is only a few thousandths of an inch larger than the squared portion which makes it necessary to expand the end of the squared portion only a little in order to make it engage the walls of the hole. When it is desired to remove the socket from the end of the shank pin, it may be done by merely driving the wedge pin 21 the other way in tapered hole 18; or in other words, driving the pin in hole 18 so as to allow the end of squared portion 12 to contact or spring to its original position or shape.

In Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 is shown a modified form of the invention. In these figures is shown a shank 10* the top 11 of which squared so that it may be easily gripped with an ordinary monkey wrench or the like. The end of portion 12 of the shank 10 is squared in the same manner as the other form and has a shoulder 16, between the round portion and the squared portion which engages the top 1'7 of the upper portion of the socket 13 In the middle of the end of the portion 12 there is a tapered hole 30. which is screw threaded to receive a threaded tapered plug 31. The tapered hole 30 extends into the squared portion 12 about t of its length. At the corners 32 formed by the flat sides 14 there are slots 33 which are as deep as the hole 30. Diagonally across the large end of plug 31 there is a slot or a notch 36 to receive a screw driver or the like so that the plug may be screwed into or withdrawn from the hole 30. With this form of construction when the socket 13 has been placed on the shank 10 it may be locked by screwlng the plug 31 tigthly into the hole 30. This causes expansion or spreading of the end of the squared portion 12 due to the taper of the plug.

The above description being of a specific preferred form of the invention I do not wish to limit myself to the exact details set forth but wish to reserve to myself any changes or modifications that may appear to those skilled in the art or fall within the scope of the following claims.

Having described a preferred form of my invention, I claim:

1. In a wrench of the character described, a socket having a recess, a shank having an end adapted to fit into said recess so as to rotate said socket when said shank is rotated, and means for expanding the end portion of said shank end so as to grip said socket, said means embodying a tapered hole diametrically through said end portion a slot parallel to said hole and between said hole and the end of said shank, and a taper pin in said hole and means to prevent removal of said pin from said hole.

2. In a wrench of the character described, a socket having a recess, a shank having an end adapted to fit into said recess so as to rotate said socket when said shank is rotated, and means for expanding the end portion of said shank end so as to grip said socket, said means embodying a straight hole diametrically through said end portion, a tapered hole between said straight hole and the end of the shank parallel to said straight hole, a slot parallel to said tapered hole and between said tapered hole and the end of the shank, and a tapered pin in said tapered hole.

3. In a wrench of the character described, a socket having a recess, a shank having an end adapted to fit into said recess so as to rotate said socket when said shank is rotated, and means for expanding the end portion of said shank end so as to grip said socket, said means embodying a straight hole diametrically through said end portion, a tapered hole between said straight hole and the end of the shank parallel to said straight hole, a slot parallel to and between said holes, a slot parallel to said tapered hole and between said tapered hole and the end of the shank, and a tapered pin in said tapered hole, and a hole in said socket adapted to register with said tapered hole when said socket is in place on said shank.

4. In combination a socket, a shank adapted to fit the socket and having a part within the socket split so as to be expansible in the socket and having a transverse tapered hole the larger end of which is beaded over; and a transversely movable member fitting in the tapered hole and being of less length than the length of the hole so that it may be moved longitudinally of the hole without protruding therefrom, and being prevented from being moved out of the larger end of the hole by the beading.

5. In combination a socket, a shank adapted to fit the socket and having a part within the socket split so as to be expansible in the socket and having a transverse tapered hole; and a transversely movable member fitting in the tapered hole and being of less length than the length of the hole so that it may be moved longitudinally of the hole without protruding therefrom; and means at the larger end of the hole to prevent the removal of said member.

6. In combination with a socket, a shank having an expansible part adapted to fit the socket, means carried in the shank and permanentlycontained within its socket fitting part adapted to expand that part, and the socket wall being apertured to provide access to the expansion means when the shank is in the socket.

7. An expansible and contractible shank having a longitudinal split, and a tapered hole in the plane of the split, and a transversely movable member in the hole and of such lesser length than the hole that it may be moved longitudinally of the hole to cause expansion and contraction of the shank without protruding beyond the outer surface of the shank the hole extending through the shank from side to side and the larger end of the hole being provided with means to lprievent removal of the member from the 8. In combination with a socket, a shank having an expansible part adapted to fit the socket, a member carried in the shank operable to cause expansion of the shank and wholly contained within the shank, and means for preventing removal of said member from the shank at all times.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 9th day of July, 1919.

WALTER A. ABEGG.

Witness VIRGINIA I. BERINGER. 

